My Heart Turned Red
Chapter 11: Regretted Betrayal
Author's note:
YES! I'M ALIVE! AT LAST!
How long has it been? A year? I'm disgusted that I've waited this long. I know that you're mad. I get it and you have every right to be mad at me, but you have to understand: I had absolutely no time to right due to writers' block, AP Work, Marching Band, and Camp. I have been so out of it and so tired, that I have had no energy or inspiration to write. I regrettably have to say that all the delays I have will be very long. I'm so sorry, but grades come first. But that being said, I will do my very best not to be late again.
We got 11 reviews! OH MY GOD THAT'S WONDERFUL! Also, for those of you that don't know, I need at least 6 reviews before starting another chapter alright? Seems fair? Good, very good.
I want to dedicate this chapter to the people who have begged me to write another chapter. Your support has given the inspiration I need to write this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own Gnomeo and Juliet on DVD proudly! I wish that owned more than that but... oh, well.
The next hour was the most torturous and agonizing hour of my entire life, and I have experienced so much pain and sorrow before this moment. Before yesterday, I never experienced this level of guilt. I never would've imagined how much pain keeping a secret can be. My friends and family and I have been planning on how to get the Reds to pay for what they did to my Father's Wisteria. They varied from ripping up all the flowers to chopping the tops off of the flowers to make them look like green sticks sticking out of the ground. Every single idea that was thrown out there was like a truck running over me again and again. I honestly don't know I am managing to keep myself from screaming, "STOP! PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"
But I can't.
I just can't because of two reasons. Number 1, the Reds ruined my Father's legacy and by doing that, insulted me and my mother. The only thing Mum and I had of my father was ruined and completely gone. And number 2, if I told them to stop, they would know something is wrong and they would start asking questions. My biggest fear was that they would find out that I was in love with a Red girl. If they did, who knows what they would do to me? Or more importantly, her? I couldn't let that happen and this is the only thing I could do to make sure it didn't happen.
But that knowledge didn't make doing this any easier. I kept trying to convince myself that this is the only way to save Juliet and our secret, but deep in my heart, I knew better. I was betraying the girl I loved, nothing more and nothing less. I should be ashamed of myself and I shouldn't be such a coward. What happened to the Gnomeo who was the leader of his people? What happened to Gnomeo whom if he told someone to do something, they would do it without heistating? I was disgusted at myself for being so weak and unable to speak up. This was nothing more than cold-hearted betrayal, and I wanted to stop myself and tell myself that this is wrong. I knew it was wrong, and yet I couldn't stop myself. I had to protect her at all costs, even though I know she would hate me afterwards. I can't blame her because I hate myself so much right now, I can't even stand it.
"Gnomeo! Gnomeo!"
I was brought out of my thoughts, and thankfully, I was so good at hiding my feelings that none of them questioned that something was wrong with me.
"What?" I said, pretending to be interested.
"We've decided to go with the weedkiller idea. I know it's not original, but it will definitely kill those precious tulips of Lord Redbrick's late wife! They dishonored our fallen leader so it's time to get back at them!" Benny said, evilly. I put on the best fake smile I could think of.
"That's a great idea! Well, what are you waiting for? Get digging!" I said.
"Aye Aye, Captain!" Benny said. "Bunnies fall in!"
I didn't even look at them go. I now felt more guilt throughout my heart than I had before. Earlier today, Juliet had told me about her mother and how dear she was to her. She talked about how alone she was after her mother had passed away, and how her mother was the only person who ever treated her like a real person. She actually cried when she told me about her mother and how all she had left of her were the Red Tulips. It was so hard to hear that because her love for her mother was the same as my love for my Dad. I told her that I would never have her feel so hurt like that again. And now I was going to hurt her even more by going to destroy the one thing she had left of her mother. I now hate myself so much more. The worst part about doing this was that this was the only way I could protect her.
But again, that didn't make it any easier and it didn't make it right.
"We've dug the hole, Gnomeo! Let's go!"
I'm so sorry, Juliet.
Benny and myself had made the plan, as we knew Tybalt so well. Tybalt would always take naps in the afternoon and without Tybalt or Fawn, the Red Garden would be completely defenseless. All we had to do was simple: go in, avoid being seen, and spray the weedkiller into the roots and get out as soon as possible. I had to leave before Juliet saw me. I didn't want her to see this, especially since I was the one who was going to do this horrible thing. I had hurt my mother and let her down, and now, I'm going to hurt the girl I loved. I can't even begin to describe the amount of disgust and self-loathing I felt towards myself. I tried so hard not to think about it as I loaded up the hose with the dreaded weedkiller.
As I was the son of the Blue Garden, I was given the 'honor' of spraying the late Lady Redbrick's tulips. Even though Benny was the reason that the last mission almost failed, he still wanted to help me destroy the Red Garden and make up for his foolishness the night before. Some selfish part of my old self really was angry at him for destroying my chances at ruining the Red Garden, and the scariest part was that the old me and the new me were fighting against each other over what was right and wrong. I couldn't go in one direction and I was stuck with just being pushed around like a fool. I was going to betray the girl I loved and I couldn't even say no to them. I, grabbed a trowel, and jumped inside the hole leading to the Red Garden and I could feel Benny right behind me pulling the hose. As I crawled to the other hole that they had dug, I was trying so hard to not show my fear and shame on my face to Benny. Benny may have been slow, but he was definitely not stupid. If he saw the regret on my face, he'd know something was up. Neither of the gardens would accept our love and if they found out, who knows what they would do to either of themselves or us. There would be a war, and a very bad one at that. They would probably imprison us and make sure we never saw each other again or worse...I don't even want to consider what could happen if they found out. That's why, with great regret and guilt, that I have to do this to protect our secret and her.
I'm so sorry, Juliet, but this is the only way I can protect you.
I crushed my eyes to try to ease my guilt and reached up to the place where the Red Garden's Hippo had been placed. I had the night before, thought of making an entrance through this but I later dismissed it. I knew the lasers on the ground would be too much of a risk to take, and not to mention, this thing didn't know when to keep its mouth shut. Someone without a doubt would notice. That is why this time, I thought of a 'clever' way to make sure no one would hear anything as I made my entrance. I would use a shovel to keep the Hippo's mouth open, but in a way so that it wouldn't be able to talk or move at all. Since afternoons were always lazy and not on the defensive i.e Tybalt, no one would notice the Hippo's unusual state or his attempts to get help. I was disgusted that I was thinking like the old Gnomeo, who was hell bent on revenge against the Red Garden. He was so quick and intelligent, but he was rash and didn't think things through. I almost wished that things could go back to the way they once were so that I wouldn't have to deal with this extreme pain and guilt of being caught between the two things that mattered most. How can I stay calm when everything that matters to me is falling apart around me? With these thoughts, I pushed up the Hippo's head and procceeded into my crime.
I knew that Tybalt wouldn't find me out. He was going to take a nap for the next few hours, and wouldn't take notice of my crime until later on in the day. Then he would come back and take revenge, and the cycle that was our life would continue. Before the Hippo could sound off the alarm, I shut it up with the trowel I had brought with me. I would be sure that that would hold him long enough for me to do the job and get out of here as soon as possible.
The sooner this misery could be over the better. The sooner I could get out of here without Juliet knowing what I was about to do, the better.
I looked around, and as I suspected before, Tybalt was taking his afternoon nap with Fawn right by his side. Tybalt wouldn't wake up for hours, which made the Red Garden currently defenseless. Afternoons used to be peaceful in both gardens when I was a kid. Usually, no one would attack either garden unless the sun went down. That slowly changed as members from both gardens wanted to cause pain and frustration in the other as often as possible. I did as well, which is why I teamed up with Benny and Shroom to accomplish that exact purpose. I hated myself for making that decision because maybe I wouldn't be here right now.
"OK," I whispered down to Benny, who hoisted up the dreaded weapon of choice that was going to be used to destroy those Tulips. I crawled up, still keeping myself hidden because there were still some Red Gnomes wandering around the Garden. Even without Tybalt to protect them, they could still alert everyone that I was here. If that happened, the mission would fail and Juliet would know of my treachery. So I had to be very careful not to be seen. I hid behind the little fence and began preparing myself to rise and strike, when I heard a voice that was coming down the pavement at a fast tempo. I hid down even further as he ran by.
"Tengo un bonito par de coconuts, do, dol, de, do!" and the voice grew more distant and I knew that I was safe.
There was no turning back now, and I knew immediately that this would make me a villain in my own heart as well as in Juliet's if she ever found out. But I had no choice. I began preparing to strike.
Forgive me.
I lifted the nozzle high and aimed at the tulips, when the person I had hoped above all else would not see me was there. Through the lens, I saw Juliet with a huge smile on her face coming towards me, and then her face turned to confusion and fear. I was unprepared for this and I looked at her with surprise. She then turned around and saw my real target. Her shoulders slumped, and her body language had changed. When her face came to face me again, I saw the emotions of anger and betrayal in her eyes. She didn't need to say anything, because I knew already that I had broken her heart.
I looked down at the gun in my hands. I asked myself as to why had I even considered this, how could I be so heartless, how could actually break the heart of the one I love more than anything else in the entire world? I don't what I was thinking or why I could actually believe that doing this would protect her. I felt the regret and pain wrestle within my heart.
She saw me as a monster, and that's exactly what I was.
She then ran away from me. I knew I needed to explain myself, even if she couldn't understand.
"Juliet, no. Wait. I..I..."
I had been unable to express myself back when we first met. It seems that even now, the fact hadn't changed. I felt so heartless for having considered this. I looked at Tybalt, the other villain in all of this. It made me sick to think I was about to stoop to his level. Only now that I had the girl I love did it all make sense to me. I couldn't be the person who I was and be in love with Juliet at the same time. By falling in love with her, I had abandoned that path. By looking at Tybalt, I realized that I was no better than he was. If I had actually carried this plan out, I would've experienced the same hate and loathing that Tybalt has in my garden. I couldn't keep up this scherade anymore. I couldn't keep lying to everyone around me. I couldn't keep lying to myself either.
Even though I tried to fake it and keep it in, the old Gnomeo is gone and he's never coming back. Ever.
I had to talk to her and try to fix this situation. I couldn't lose her.
With that decision in my head, I raced down into the hole I had dug, taking that accursed weed killer gun with me. I grabbed the trowel and made my escape. Benny was still down there and I didn't know how I was going to explain this to him. My heart was racing and my head was pounding to the point that I struggled to think of what to say.
"Abort. Abort the mission," I said, trying to keep my cool.
"Why? What happened?" he said, really confused.
"Uh...the nozzle jammed," I said plainly, abandoning my friend and my lie. I then hurried out of the hole and raced to the door.
I knew of only one place that she would be and only at that place could I try to explain myself. I wanted to fix this and try to make this right. I only hoped that I could. I had hurt her really badly.
"Gnomeo?" I heard him call, but I ignored him. I didn't even consider that this lie of mine would seem weird or suspicious to Benny. If I had, maybe that accident wouldn't have happened. Which is a story I will talk about later.
I raced as fast as I could out of the Garden with Shroom, with my regret and pain in my heart and my need to see her. I needed to see her so badly. As I raced out the door, I could hear her crying and I could feel her pain.
A single tear ran down my face, because I was the one that caused it.
That's it! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm again really sorry for the wait! But thank you for your patience and I promise to update again very soon.
Next Chapter: Gnomeo and Juliet's fight and Featherstone's tragic love story. Favorite scene of mine.
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Until Next time!
Signed
kagomehater4ever
